Carbonating device



Sept. 12, 1939. F, .4, TWEED 2,172,420

CABBONATING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenzfor fiederz c/Z fi Tweed Patented Sept. 12, 1939 Pram OFFICE CARBONATING nnvron Frederick H. Tweed, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 25, 1934, Serial No. 736,826

I 7 Claims.

This invention relates to carbonating devices for producing carbonated liquids, and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description. The invention has as a further object to provide a carbonating device which insures pure .and highly carbonated liquid free from atmospheric air at all times. The invention has as a further object to provide a carbonating device which is simple in operation, compact in construction and automatic in its performance. The

invention has as a further object to provide a carbonating device which eliminates cumbersome, noisy and expensive agitating devices. The invention has as a further object to provide a car- .bonating device for automatically .discharging from the carbonating receptacle atmospheric air which would otherwise accumulate therein.

In carbonating liquids, for example, there is atmospheric air contained in the liquids and this 34 atmospheric air, in the old carbonating device, accumulates in the carbonating receptacle and such air injures the carbonated Water and causes it to taste flat and insipid, thus reducing its acceptibility to the user. This atmosphere, even in small quantities, may render the carbonated water unfit for a beverage. This atmospheric air also gives annoyance by causing a spurting of the liquid when discharged from the dispensing device, this violent action of the air and the liquid even tending to knock the glass out of the hand of the operator. One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent this and provide a carbonating device free from these evils.

The invention has further objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying description.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of carbonating device showing the electric pump, motor and switch associated 4o therewith;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the carbonating receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carbonating receptacle. 45 Like numerals referto like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown a carbonating receptacle 1 which is supplied with liquid by any suitable means In order to show a 50 complete assembly I have illustrated an electric.

pump 2 as supplying the liquid, said pump operated by the electric motor 3 connected by the con from the source of supply and discharges it through the pipe 6 and the coupling member 1' into the carbonating receptacle l The carbon dioxide gas passes through the pipe 8 which is connected to the source of'supply. This pipe 8 5 is connected to the fitting9 which is connected with the carbonating receptacle l by means of a plug Ill. The fitting 9 has a passageway l I controlled by a valve I2 in a chamber l3. Afitting I4 has a passageway l5 which communicates with 10 the chamber I3, .and a pipe I6 is connected with said fitting and conducts the carbon dioxide gas to the bottom of the carbonating receptacle and discharges it therein at the point l1.

Some means for distributing the gas is pro- 15 vided, such as the perforated plate or diaphragm l8. The valve I2 is connected with a valve stem l9 and has a shoulder 20. A spring 2| is located between this shoulder and the bottom of the ton 23 is pressed upwardly by the spring 24 and its 30 movement is stopped by the pin 230. When the liquid enters the fitting i it enters in pulsations from the pump, and each pulsating charge of liquid moves the member 22 down so as to open the valve l2 and permit the gas to pass into the 5 carbonating receptacle. The movement of the member 23 due to the pulsating pressure also permits the liquid to pass into the carbonating receptacle, the downward movement of the sliding member causing openings 25 and 25a in the two 40 sliding members to register so that the water can pass readily through them into the carbonating receptacle. The springs at the ends of the pulsations move the parts back to their original position and close the valve l2.

It will thus be seen that by means of this arrangement the carbon dioxide gas is admitted to the carbonating receptacle in synchronism with the water supply under pressure forced therein by the water supply pump, and the parts are arranged so as to admit the gas in the right pro.- portions and in the pulsating form as the water pulsates from the discharge of the supply pump. Under such conditions the absorption of thecarbon dioxide gas by the liquid in the receptacle becomes almost instantaneous, provided that the carbon dioxide gas, entering at the bottom of the carbonating receptacle, is broken up into small portions or bubbles, as by means of the perforated plate l8. It .will further be seen that the water forced into the carbonating receptacle must be forced in under a continually increased rise of pressure in the carbonating receptacle, and this increased pressure also assists in securing the proper absorption of the carbon dioxide by the liquid.

I also provide means for admitting additional carbon dioxide gas to the carbonating receptacle in response to the raising of the level of the 23a, shutting this flow of the gas.

liquid therein. For this purpose a pipe 26 is connected with the fitting 9 and leads to the pipe l3 through a valve which is controlled by the height of the liquid in the carbonating receptacle. In this construction the pipe 26 is connected with a fitting 21 having a passageway 28 which communicates with a chamber 29. .A valve 38 controls this passageway. sageway 3| in the fitting communicates. with the chamber 28 and connects with the pipe 26a leading to the pipe l6. The valve 38 is provided with a stem 32. The valve is pressed toward its open position by a spring 33 and toward its closed position by a lever 34 pivoted at 35, and provided with a portion 36 which engages the valve stem 32. Connected with the lever is a float 31 which floats in the liquid. When the liquid lowers to a certain level the float drops and the lever 34 presses the valve stem 32 and closes the connection between the pipes 26 and As the liquid rises above a predetermined point the float rises so as to lift the lever and release the stem 32 so that the spring 33 opens the valve and permits gas to'pass from the pipe 26 into the pipe 230, and thence the pipe l6 and thence into the carbonating receptacle.

' Some means is provided for automatically discharging the air or mixed air and carbon dioxide gas which rises to the top of the carbonating receptacle. For this purpose I provide a passageway 38 which leads from the interior of the carbonating receptacle to the exterior thereof. The valve 38 controls this passageway. This valve is controlled by a lever 38 which is pivoted at 4| and which is connected with a float 42. When the liquid in the receptacle falls below a predetermined point the float moves the lever 48 so as to open the valve 39 and permit'the air or mixed air and carbon dioxide gas to escape from the receptacle. This is a very important factor in the dispensing of carbonating liquids, as it prevents the liquid from becoming flat or insipid due to the action of the air.

When the water from the pump enters the sleeves 22 and 23 a pressure is built up in said sleeves equal to the pressure produced by the pump, and this moves the hollow sleeve or piston 23 downwardly compressing the spring, and causes the openings 25 and 26a to register so that the water gradually passes out into the receptacle. When this water enters the sleeve 23 the pressure causes the sleeve to be moved downwardly so as to open the valve l2 and this pressure being built up in this sleeve holds the valve Another pasthat the valve is held open by the pressure built up in the sleeve 23.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows.

When the device is in operation, the pipe 8 is connected to a source of supply of carbon dioxide gas and the pipe 5 is connected with the source of supply of the liquid and the electric motor 3 is connected in circuit. The liquid is then drawn from the source of supply and discharged through the pipe 8 and the coupling member 1 into the receptacle I. The discharge of the carbon dioxide gas through the pipe 8 into the pipe I6 and'thence into the receptacle is controlled by the valve l2 attached to the sliding member 22. The pump causes a pulsating movement of the liquid through the coupling member 1 and when this liquid enters the sliding member 22, it causes it to move downwardly and open the valve l2 and carbon dioxide gas then passes from the pipe 8 into the pipe I6 and thence into the bottom of the receptacle I. This liquid then moves the hollow perforated sliding member 23 downwardly until the openings 25 register with the openings 25a in the hollow sliding member 22, and then the liquid passes out. into the receptacle i and the spring 2| moves the valve l2 to its closed position and the spring 23 moves the hollow perforated member 23 up against the pin 23c so as to shut oil the flow of the liquid into the receptacle I. The carbon dioxide gas passes into the receptacle at the bottom below the member l8 and is by this member l8 finely divided so as to be thoroughly commingled with the water.

At the next pulsation of the pump, the operation above described is repeated. When the liq-. uid in receptacle i reaches such a height that it lifts the float 31, the spring 33 then moves the valve and the carbon dioxide gas passes from pipe 26 through passageways 28 and 3i into pipe 260, and thence into pipe i6, and thence into the bottom of the receptacle I, this being a continuous process made desirable by the height of liquid in the receptacle I. When a sufllclent amount of the liquid is properly carbonated, it is .drawn of! and the operation then repeated.

When the liquid is drawn of! so that the level is such as to lower the float 42 to open the valve 39, the mixed gas and air is discharged through the pipe 38 intothe outside atmosphere.

I claim:

1. A carbonating device comprising a receptacle having a single chamber therein, a liquid inlet at the top thereof connected with a pump that pumpsliquid into the receptacle and a gas inlet at the bottom thereof, the liquid and gas inlets discharging into said single chamber, a control valve for the gas at the top of said receptacle in proximity to the liquid inlet, said control valve liquid inlet moved by the pulsations of the entering liquid due to the pump, a connection between said movable member and said control valve for the gas whereby the gas is intermittently admitted to the receptacle. 6

3. A carbonating device comprising a'receptacle, a'liquid inlet and a gas inlet, a control valve in the gas inlet on the exterior of said tank and in proximity to the liquid inlet, a movable part in the liquid inlet connected with the gas control valve, a spring associated therewith normally holding the gascontrol valve closed, the liquid entering the liquid inlet moving said movable device against the action of said spring to open the gas control valve.

4. A carbonating device comprising a receptacle, a liquid inlet and a gas inlet, a control valve in the gas inlet in proximity to the liquid inlet, a movable part in the liquid inlet connected with the gas control valve, a spring associated therewith normally holding the gas control valve closed, the liquid entering the liquid inlet moving said movable device against the action of said spring to open the gas control valve, and means for intermittently varying the pressure of the liquid entering the liquid inlet so as to intermittently open and close the gas control valve.

5. A carbonating device comprising a receptacle, a liquid inlet and a gas inlet for said receptacle, valves for controlling said liquid and gas inlets, the valve for the liquid inlet'being connected with the valve for the gas inlet so that the gas inlet is automatically controlled by the liquid passing in through the liquid inlet, a second source of gas supply for said tank, a valve controlling said second source of gas supply, a controlling device for said valve responsivetovariations in the level of the liquid in said receptacle, said valve located on the outside of said receptacle and having a stem that projects into the receptacle.

V 6. A carbonatlng device comprising a receptacle, a liquid inlet and a gas inlet for said receptacle, valves for controlling said. liquid and gas inlets, the valve for the liquid inlet being connected with the valve for the gas inlet so that the gas inlet is automatically controlled by the liquid passing in through the liquid inlet, and means for automatically admitting gas into said receptacle in response to an excessive rise in the liquid level in the receptacle, whereby the proper pro- 1 portion of liquid and gas is maintained.

7. A carbonating device comprising a receptacle, a liquid inlet and a gas inlet, a control valve in the gas inlet in proximity to the liquid inlet, a movable cylinder associated with said liquid inlet and into which the liquid passes a connecting device which connects said movable cylinder with said gas control valve, a piston in said cylinder, a spring beneath said piston, and a series of 

